Material loading apparatus



May 18, 1943 v c Q'SGOOD 2,319,257

MATERIAL LOADING APPARATUS Fi led- June 5, 1941 a Sheets-Sheet 1 y 4 R. c. OSGOOD 2,319,257

umsnm LOADING APPARATUS Filed J1me 5, 1941 V s Sheets-Sheet 2 "]4 w67@%r: 121931905 6. asywcz.

May 18, 1943- R, c QSGOQD 2,319,257

MATERIAL LOADING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'i ...'l I I I l"" o 4 W v, llllllllmil llll lla o III/2 'IIIIIIIIIIIIII/ III Patented May 18, 1943 MATERIAL LOADING APPARATUS Robert C. Osgood, Claremont, N. 11., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 5, 1941, Serial No. 396,743

centering means actuated by an element of the 15 Claims.

This invention relates to material loading apparatus, and more particularly to improvements in the automatic centering means for the shovel of a mine car loader of the type commonly known as a muck loader.

In material loading apparatus of the type known as a mine car or muck loader, the vertically swingable shovel of the loader is usually swivelly mounted on the loader base 'to swing horizontally into material digging positions at either side of the path of movement of the base. The shovel is usually-manually swung horizontally into its laterally located digging position, and after the shovel has been advanced into the material to be loaded it is swung upwardly to its raised dumping position. As the shovel is swung upwardly, means is ofttimes provided for automatically swinging the shovel from its laterally located position into alinement with the loader base prior to the discharge of the material from the shovel, to assure proper discharge of the shovel contents into a mine car located immediately at the rear of the loader.

shovel moving means. A further object is to provide an improved mine car loader of the pivoted shovel type having improved means actuated by an element of the shovel swinging means for automatically effecting alinement of the shovel relative to the base, so that proper discharge of the shovel contents into a mine car located at the rear of the loader is assured. Other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of a mine car loader in which an illustrative form of the invention is embodied.

Fig.- 2 is a plan view of the mine car loader shown in Fig. 1, with parts omitted to facilitate illustration.

Known types of such automatic self-centering means for the shovel are usually actuated directly by the shovel, so that when the shovel is swung vupwardly one of its supporting arms engages an element of the centering means whereby the centering action is'automatically effected by swinging movement of the shovel. Such automatic shovel centering means are usually relatively complicated-and, in certain known forms, embody a cam roller engageable with cam surfaces, so that when the shovel swings upwardly towards its discharging position the cam roller moves relative to the cam surfaces to efiect automatic centering of the shovel with respect to the loader base. 1

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved material loading apparatus having improved automatic centering means for th shovel embodying advantages over known types of centering devices. Another object is to provide an improved loading apparatus having. improved means for automatically centering the shovel thereof from a laterally located position with respect to the loader base during movement of the shovel from its lowered digging position toward its raised material discharging position. Still another object is to provide an improved mine car loader having improved means for automatically alini'ng'the shovel relative to the loader base as the shovel is moved from its lowered digging position toward its raised dumping position, embodying automatic Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional viewtaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken onjline 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on line 'I-'I of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail cross sectional view taken on line H of Fig. ,"l.

In this illustrative embodiment of the invention the improved automatic shovel centering means is embodied in a mine car loader of the type commonly known as a muck loader for loading loose rock or muck in metal mines. It willbe evident, however, that the invention may be embodied in loading apparatus of variousother types.

The mine car loader disclosed herein may be of the same general character as that described in my copending application Serial No. 324,826,

filed March 19, 1940, now matured into Patent 'No. 2,268,570, patented January 6, 1942, and comprises a self-propelled base, herein a truck frame I mounted on wheels 2 adapted to travel along a trackway 3 laid on the mine floor. The wheeled truck frame has swivelly mounted thereon, for horizontal swinging movement relative thereto, an upper frame or turntable l onwhich the shovelling mechanism is mounted. This swivelled upper frame 4 has vertical side plates 5, 5

and is swivelled on bearings 8 (see Fig.5) supported by a stationary vertical shaft 1 fixed to the.truck frame. truck wheels comprises a conventional reversible fluid operated .motor 8 arranged on the truck frame beneath the swivelled frame 4,'and the loader may be propelled in either of opposite directions along the trackway by this motor. The motor 8 is controlled by a conventional reversing valve 9 operated through a flexible operating shaft it by a control handle Mounted on the swivelled frame 4, between the vertical side plates 5, thereof, is a shovel |3 supported by side arms i4, i4 having integral segmental portions IS. The shovel side arms are movably supported by guide members i6, and guiding rollers I 1, journaled on the shovel side arms M to turn on axes coincident with the roller supporting axes, are mounted in the guide-- ways thereof. The rollers l1 engaging the guideways of the guide members It provide a rolling pivotal support for the shovel as the latter is swung about its moving fulcrum point, as will later be explained.

As fully described in the copending application above referred to, the segmental portions I! of the shovel supporting arms have arcuate cable guiding grooves for receiving pairs of spring tensioned flexible cables l8, l8 and i9, i9 each secured at one end to the frame 4 and at the opposite end to a segmental portion i5, and these immediately at the rear of the latter. When the The driving means for the shovel assumes its rearmost dumping position against the buffer springs, as indicated in dotted lines at A in Fig. 1, and it is desired to return the shovel to its lowered digging position, as indicated in full lines at B in that figure, the shovel must be initially moved forwardly past its center of gravity before it will drop down under its own. weight, and for initiating'this return movement a fluid operated return cylinder 32 is supported by the transverse frame member 30, and this pairs of cables serve to compel swinging movement of the shovel arms, thereby to efiect movement of the shovel arms bodily longitudinally as they are swung, to provide in effect a moving fulcrum point for the shovel and to serve to and keyed to the latter is a sprocket 4|) connected arcuate guide surfaces on the segmental arm I portions, so that when-the chains are wound in by their drums the shovel is swung upwardly and rearwardly. A reversible fluid actuated m0- tor 23, similar to the truck propelling motor 8,

is mounted on the swivelled frame 4 for eflecting drive of the shovel raising drums 2|, and this motor has connected to its power shaft a sprocket 24 connected by'an .endless drive chain 25 to a chain sprocket 26 keyed to a horizontalshaft 21. This shaft extends transversely between the vertical side plates 5, i and is suitably joumaled thereon, and the drums 2| are keyed to the shaft '21 and driven thereby. The motor 23. like the motor 8, is controlled by a conventional reversing valve 28 having a control handle 28.

Secured to the vertical side plates 5, 5 of the swivelled frame 4, near the rear ends thereof, is a transverse frame member 30 carrying conventional shock absorbing or buffer springs 3|,

and when the shovel is swung upwardly on its' cylinder contains a reciprocable piston (not shown) having a plungerlike piston rod 33 (Fig.

v3) extending forwardly through the front cylinfully described in the above mentioned copending application. y

The improved automatic means for centering the shovel relative to the truck frame as the shovel swings upwardly from its lowered digging position toward its raised dumping position comprises a pair of parallel racks 35, located at opposite sides of the frame swivel axis and guided for movement longitudinally relative to the swivelled frame 4 in parallel guideways 38, 38 secured to the frame. are spur pinions 31, 31 secured to the opposite ends of a horizontal shaft 38. This shaft extends transversely of the swivelled frame 4 between the vertical side plates and is journaled in bearings 39 suitably securedto the frame. The spur pinions 31 are driven from the drum drive shaft 21,

the shovel swinging means other than the shaft 21. It is accordingly evident that when the chain drums 2| are driven to wind in the chains to raise the shovel the spur pinions 31 are driven through the W and sprocket connection 43, 4|, 42 in a directioii to move the racks 3! concurrently in a forward direction within their guidways,

and when the chain drums are driven in a direction to permit lowering of the shovel the spur pinions 31 are driven in a direction to effect concurrent rearward movement of the racks within their guideways. Bivotally connected at 43 to the racks 35, at their rearward ends, are arms 44 provided with elongated longitudinal slots 45. and projecting within these slots are vertical abutment pins 46 fixed to the truck frame. The abutment pins 46 project upwardly through arcuate slots 41 in the swivelled frame 4, and these slots permit turning of the swivelled frame relative to the relatively stationary pins, in an obvious manner. It will thus be seen that when the shovel is in a laterally located digging posi- ;tion with the swivelled frame 4 in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the motor 23 is operated to drive the chain drums 2| in Meshing with these racks a direction to raise the shovel, the racks II are moved forwardly in their guidways relative to the swivelled frame, and the effective one of the slotted arms 44 engages its cooperating abutment pin to inove the swivelled frame 4, together with the shovel supported thereby, into alinement with the truck frame, so that when the shovel is raised from its lowered digging position toward its raised dumping position it is auto-. matically brought into alinement with the mine car Mto assume proper discharge of the shovel contents into the mine car. When the shovel-is in alinement with the loader base and the shovel is in its raised position, the swivelled frame 4 is locked against swivel movement'by the slotted arms cooperating with the abutment pins. When the shovel approaches its raised discharging position, it is abruptly stopped by the buffer springs 3| and the shovel contents are discharged .into the waiting mine car, and thereafter the fluid cylinder 32 is operated to initiate return movementof the shovel. When the shovel again assumes its lowered digging position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the slotted arms 44 assume the position shown in Fig. 2, and at that time the arms are out of locking engagement with the pins so that the swivelled frame may be manually turned freely horizontally about its swivel relative to the loader base. It is accordingly evident that the automatic centering means is so coordinated with the shovel swinging means that the shovel-is always automatically alined with the loader base prior to the discharge of the shovel contents into the min car. In the event the loader is operating on a curved traclrway,

one or the other of the slotted arms 44 may be readily disconnected from its operating rack simply by removing one of the arm pivot bolts,

thereby to render the automatic centering means ineflective, in a manner which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. As the general mode of operation of the mine car loader disclosedherein is fully described in the above men-' tioned copending application, further description of the mode of operation of the loader is herein As 'a result of this invention it will benoted that an improved mine car or muck loader is provided having improved and simplified means or automatically centering the shovel with respect to the loader base as the shovel moves upwardly towards its'raised dumping position. It will further be noted that by operating the au-,

'tomatic centering means through elements of the shovel means, automatic alinement of the shovel with respect to the loader base is .as--

sured. By the provision of the sliding racks and slotted arms cooperating with relatively station ary abutment pins,-the means for cente the shovel is simplified and made more rugged than previously known mechanical centering devicesv whileat thesametimeapositivealiningand centering action is-attained.' Other uses and advantages of the invention will beclearly apparenttothose skilled inthe'a'rt. P

While there isinthis application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be. understood that this .form of the same is shown for-purposes of illus-' trationand that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its siirlt or the scopeof the appended claims.

what

Iclaimasnewanddesiretosecureby tion relative thereto, means for effecting vertical.

swinging movement of said shovel support, and means operated by an element of said shovel swinging means. independently of any direct actuation'by said shovel or its support for automatically centering the shovel relative to the base as said shovel swings vertically, said automatic centering means including a pair of oppositely acting centering-effecting elements guided' for concurrent movement in the same direction relative to said frame, and cooperating abutment elements on said base.

2., In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a frame swivelled on said base to turn horizontally relative thereto, a

shovel pivotally mounted on said swivelled frame to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, means for effecting vertical swinging movement of said shovel, and means operated by an element of said shovel swinging means for automatically centering the shovel relative to the base as'said shovel swings vertically, said automatic centering means including a pair of oppositely actin'g centering-effecting elements guided for concurrent movement in the same direction relative to said frame, spaced abutment elements on said base with which said centering-effecting elements respectively cooperate, and actuating means for said centering-effecting elementsineluding relatively rotatable mechanically interengaged actuating elements, certain of which are operatively connected to said centering-efiecting elements.

3. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination 40 comprising a portable base, a frame swivelled on 1 said base'to turn horizontally relative thereto, a shovel pivotally mounted on said swivelled frame to swing in'a vertical direction relative thereto,

.meansfor effecting vertical swinging movement of said shovel, and means operated'by an element of said shovel swinging means for automatically centering the shovel relative to the base as said shovel swings vertically, said automatic centering means including a pair of oppositely acting 5 g centering-effecting elements guided for concurrent movement in the same direction-relative to 7 said frame, cooperating abutment elements onsaid' base, and actuating means for said centeringeffecting elements including a pair of racks and pinions meshing with said racks respectively.

tivethereto from a lowered diggin position to a'raiseddumping position, means for. vertically swinging 'said' shovel, and means driven by an element of said, shovel swinging means for rotating said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel appreaches its raised dumping position including oppositely acting, centering-effecting elements and spaced abutment elements with which cen- Io teri'ng-eifecting elements respectively cooperate.

5. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a horizontal tumtable swivelled on said base to turn about a ver-.

tical axis, a shovel pivotally mounted on said.

Letters Patent I 1 turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative 4. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination I thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised dumping position, means for vertically swinging said shovel, and means driven by an element of said shovel swinging means for rotating said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said automatic centering means including oppositely acting centering-efiecting elements mounted on said turntable for concurrent movement in the same direction relative thereto and spacedabutment elements on said base with which said centeringeffecting elements respectively cooperate.

6. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a horizontal turntable swivelled on said base to turn .about a vertical axis, a shovel pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised dumping position, means for vertically swinging said shovel, and means driven byan element of said shovel swinging means for rotating said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said auto- 'tabie swivelled on said base to turn about a vertical axis, a shovel pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised dumping position, means for vertically swinging said shovel, and means driven by an element of said shovel swinging means for rotat ing said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative, to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said automatic centering means including a pair of parallel racks and gears meshing with said racks respectively.

8. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination being disposed on alined axes disposed trans versely of said turntable.

9. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a, horizontal turntable swivelled on said base to turn about a vertical axis, a shovel pivotally moimted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised said shovel, and means driven by an element of said shovel swinging means for rotating said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said automatic centering means including oppositely acting centering-effecting elements arranged at the opposite sides of a ver-,

tical plane including the turntable axis and movable concurrently rectilinearly in the same direction upon swinging or said shovel in one direction.

10. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a horizontal turntable swivelled on said base to turn about a vertical axis, a shovel pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised dumping position, means for vertically swinging said shovel, and means driven by an element of said shovel swinging means for rotating said turntabl automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said automatic center ing means including oppositely acting centeringeflecting elements arranged at the opposite sides 0! a vertical plane including the turntable axis and movable concurrently rectilinearly in the same direction upon swinging of said shovel in one direction and spaced abutmen'ts on said base with which said centering-efiecting elements respectively cooperate.

11. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a turntable on said base, a shovel pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, means for swinging said shovel in a vertical direction including a motor, and means driven by said motor for automatically alining said shovel with respect to said base as the shovel swings vertically toward its discharge posirtion,

' said alining means comprising spaced abutments stationary with respect to said base, and members mounted on said turntable and movable longitudinally relative to the latter, one of said longitudinally movable members being engageable with one of said abutments when said turntable is turned to locate said shovel at one side or the other of said base and said members being mov able concurrently along parallel paths in the same direction with respect to the turntable as said shovel swings vertically.

12. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a frame swivelled on said base to turn horizontally relative thereto, a shovel pivotally mounted on said swivelled frame to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, means for effecting vertical swinging movement of said shovel, and means operated by an element of .said shovel swinging means for automatically centering the shovel relative to the base as said shovel swings vertically, said automatic centering means including a pair of oppositely acting centering-effecting elements guided 'for concurrent movement in the same direction relative to said frame, cooperating abutment eledumping position, mean 'tor vertically swinging ments on said base, and actuating means for said centering-effecting elements including rackmeans and gear-means meshing with said rackmeans.

13. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a horizontal turntable swivelled on said base to turn about a vertical axis, a shovel pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto from a lowered digging position to a raised dumping position, means for vertically swinging said shovel. and means driven by an element of said shovel swinging means for rotating said turntable automatically to center the shovel relative to said base as said shovel approaches its raised dumping position, said automatic centering means including rack and gear means.

'14. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a frame swivelled on said base to turn horizontally relative thereto, a shovel pivotally mounted on said swivelled frame to swing in' a vertical direction relative thereto, means for effecting vertical swinging movement of said shovel, and means operated by an element of said shovel swinging means for automatically centering the shovel relative to the base as said shovel swings vertically, said automatic centering means including a pair of opposltely acting, mechanically actuated, centeringefiecting elements guided along parallel Paths for concurrent movement in the same direction and cooperating abutment elements, certain of said centering-effecting and abutment elements remaining stationary while the others are movable during centering of the shovel.

15. In a shovelling mechanism, the combination comprising a portable base, a frame swivelled on said base to turn horizontally relative (thereto,

a shovel pivotally mounted on said swivelled irame to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, means for effecting vertical swinging movement of said shovel, and means operated by said centering-effecting and abutment elements remaining stationary while the others are movable during centering of the shovel, and actuating means for said centering-effecting elements including cooperating relatively movable, mechanically interengaged, actuating elements, certain of which are operatively connected to said centering-effecting elements.

' ROBERT C. OSGOOD. 

